Monday Editorial: Film Festival Hangover and Looking to the Future
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The day after TIFF is one I often feel very low on energy. After more than a week of seeing multiple films and getting minimal hours of sleep, the film festival can really take a toll on your body. It is also a time to reflect on what exactly I am going to do next.
Last week, I made the decision to resign as a contributor for Toronto Film Scene, which I have been a part of since July 2013. There are many different reasons for my departure, but I suppose the main one is that I found myself contributing less to the site in recent months, with only a review of mine popping up once or twice a month. While remaining a contributor of Toronto Film Scene would’ve allowed me access to certain advance screenings, I no longer felt any satisfaction from the writing I did for the site.
So, what exactly is next for me? To be completely honest, I do not know the answer to that question. I suppose the most important goal for me is to find a paid writing position, or at the very least continue my efforts to monetize this site. I have already sent in one pitch to a site and I hope to send out some more within the next couple months. I definitely think that now is the time to develop myself as a freelance writer and try to make it a career that I can live on.
I also want to reignite some goals I had when I graduated from university 7 years ago, but have since fallen on the wayside. Before settling into film criticism, I had a desire to be more of a film scholar and write a film essay and get it published. In fact, I have been considering going one step further and writing a book, even though it would be quite daunting for me to try such an undertaking. However, it’s a challenge that I am willing to try and I may or may not have already started a manuscript.
Then there is my filmmaking career. While I focused on film theory and history in university, I still maintained an interest in production and even took some continuing education course to learn more filmmaking skills. It was in late-2015 when I formally decided to establish Sean Kelly Productions and my horror-comedy short film Itch is currently being submitted to film festivals. I am not sure what will come about from my filmmaking career and whether or not it will turn into something I can make money from.
As you can see, I am currently at a crossroads and there is many directions that I can take. The one thing that I know for sure is that I am no longer satisfied with the status quo and I am ready to take my life and career to the next level.
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